Sunday, 30 December 2012

My favourite game of ALL TIME has gained an expansion! Pulp City Monsters
Whats it all about? Big ass things rampaging through a city with super powered beings trying to stop them!

If you take a look at most Marvel comics lines you will see an invasion of Skrull ships, Mole Mans giant creations, huge versions of Ultron or an attack of a massive Dormammau.
Giant things attacking a city and being fought off or even controlled by Super Heroes or Villains is a staple in most comic books.
Finally you can now battle these things in the Pulp City Universe with their massive roster of Supremes!
Or if you wanted to, take on an evil Monster with a good Monster without a single Supreme in sight.

Here I will take a look over the Monsters book section by section and give you my thoughts on it at the same time.

The book starts with a great 6 page story about the Jade Cult ninja clan and their enemies. I wont spoil it for you but it sets up the appearance of the Monsters perfectly while introducing one of the next big bad guys to enter Pulp City. The Green Emperor!

On to the rules.

The first chapters covers the rules for using Monsters in your games of Pulp City. You have 3 'Ranks' of Monsters. Rank 1, 2 and 3 are the same as using a Supreme team at levels 9, 12 and 15
The next couple of pages cover the rules differences between using Monsters ans Supremes in a game. Not too many major changes but movement and AP generation are different along with a selection of Skills that ALL Monsters have. To top it off, they can Throw almost any piece of movable scenery on the table!
Monsters can use ALL of their available AP a turn and also get to use Trumps Traits on every roll instead of 1 per turn like Supremes.

Once you know the basics of how a Monster works its time to create one!
There are a selection of character Monsters in the book, I will get to those later, but the moan focus of the rules are to pick ANY large models you have and build rules for them.
You start off picking one of 3 main types.

Beasts
A Beast is a Nature origin Monster. Something that is a living breathing creature on the planet.
Above you can see the base stats that you build on to and how to work out damage and AP (Action Points)
A Beast takes damage like anybody else in the game. Physical damage will slow it down and reduce its AP the more it is hurt.
Once you have decided on the Rank of your Beast you then have a TON of options.

The higher the Rank, the more Upgrades you can take.
Beasts have 4 types to choose from.
Cranial Upgrades cover the Mind and Spirit of the Beasts and also any attacks they can do with their head.
Body Upgrades are the Strength and power of the Beast. How hard it hits, how difficult it is to take down.
Appendage Upgrades include Agility, tail and limb attacks and even wings!
Extra Upgrades add more flavour to your creation. Giving the little extra 'something' you want.
There are SEVEN pages of Upgrades choices you can fit the rules to any idea of any model you have.

Elders
Elder Monsters are Mystery creatures from beyond this reality. Gods (good or bad), alternate dimensional creatures and any other worldly creations.
Elders take damage in a different way to Beasts. They use things called Seals. (Mystic wards, not the animals)
Seals are chosen from the list as you play. Each one grants an additional power or skill while it is active and can take 10 damage before it is removed. They do have built in Flaws though. If an attack matches the Flaw conditions the Seal is lost immediately and you have to pick another. Each Rank has a limit to the amount of Seals they can use in a game.

Elders have 4 different Upgrade sets.
Mental Upgrades effect the Eldars Mind skills and attacks and how well it can control others around it.
Form Upgrades are physical based and refer to the body the Elder has chosen and how it is used.
Mystical Upgrades give the Elder magical powers, energies and abilities
Ritual Upgrades are arcane abilities that weaken your opponents and help your followers

Robots
These are everything from humanoid machines to alien ships and Supreme Vehicles. Plus everything else Science based.
Robot AP and damage is worked out very differently to the other 2 types of Monsters. Each area of the Robot has Battery Packs, between 3 and 5 depending on the Rank.
Damage is removed from these and once all the packs from an area are lost, so are the abilities from that area. AP used is also removed from the Battery Packs instead of a standard AP pool.
This might sound like a Robot will fall quickly but they have several ways to recharge and restore Burnt Out packs.

Robots again have 4 types of Upgrade.
CPU Module Upgrades are based in the head and control targeting.
Weapons Module Upgrades are quite self explanatory. How it attacks other things.
Bulkhead Module Upgrades show the body and structure of the Robot. Things like shields and armour
Movement Module Upgrades let the Robot move around in different ways.
Each Module also has options for Repair Upgrades for the Battery Packs

I really do LOVE the fact you can create an almost endless amount of Monsters using these rules and none of them will ever be the same. (Write it down if you like it)
You can let you imagination run wild.

Chapter 8 gives you a whole load of new Resources for your Supremes to use. These are all Monster based and can help you take them down.
It also adds an additional tactic to use. Traps! These can be set up around the board by certain Supremes and if the right conditions are met, can help you out no end when trying to stop a massive rampaging creation.

After the main rules you have the Fall of Pulp City. This is the bit I have been waiting for ever since I heard about it.
A 12 page time line running from May 1989 to March 1990. This is a record of the events that happened when the Monsters started to appear and how it changed Pulp City for ever onwards.
This evolution of the Pulp City background includes several of the well know Supremes and even introduces a selection of new Monsters and Supremes including Chimpanzer, the time travelling Supreme Alliance and the intergalactic Monster hunter, Slug Muldoon (below, check out the trophy on his belt)

After waiting for this new fluff I can say I was NOT disappointed. Loved every bit of it and it left me with loads of questions about what will happen in the future. Just like a good comic should

The next part of the book is a selection of pre-made Monsters from the Pulp City Background.
Each with some unique abilities to make them stand out from the 'build your own' creations.
Each Origin has a Monster in this section for each Rank
Below are some of my Favourites.

Terrorsaur - A creation of Myserious Man sent from Kodo Island to create havoc in the city

Ging Gong - A massive Ape that is rumoured to be controlled. So far he has been seen to help out the Ape Revolutionary Commitie (ARC) on several occasions

The Dread Sleeper - Some know him as the Old One, Others as C'thul. All know he is bad news for the planet and those that live on it.

Necroplane Harvesters - Its not all creatures and walkers. The Harvester is a killer UFO type creation that sucks souls from those below

Byte Dragon - A legend in its own right, Byte Dragon is the other form of CORE, leader of the Heavy Metal team. This form is used for raw power when the time calls for it.

To give you an idea of how all of these rules go together when you create a Monster or how to the the rules in a game for one of the Character Monsters, here is an example of a stat page for the Dread Sleep.
This show the basic stats and powers. Everything you need to know to use it.
Below that is an example of how the Robots Battery Modules are laid out to be marked off.

All the way through the book are some stunning pictures of the Monsters themselves. Most can be tied to a Character mentioned but some of them are just wonderful sketches that add to the flavour of the book.

Overview
I may be abit bias as I love Pulp City and I love super hero based games but this expansion is awesome!
The chance to run several different scenarios to the main game and a brilliant excuse to pick up that big model you have wanted for ages but just didn't know what you were going to use it for.
'Build Your Own' rules are always a good thing in my book. Lets you make the game what you want it to be without house rules that need to be agreed with others before you play.
I think there would only be 2 things I would change if I could.
1- It would be great to see the other Character Monsters in the background have official stat sheets. That isn't really a big thing as you can make them yourself with the rules.
2- The background image at the bottom of the pages sometimes makes it hard to read what is on top of it. I think that could be fixed just by making the background lighter.

Overall I think the guys at Pulp Monsters have done a great job with this book. Going to be a lot of fun creating different Beasts, Elders and Robots.

9 out of 10 Badger Points!

EDIT: Ok, I have just found out that this was Devons (guy who put the book together) first ever layout.With that in mind I can overlook the background at the bottom of a couple of pages, making it an awesome-

10 out of 10 Badger Points!

In a couple of days I will take a look at the different models you could use to represent the Character Monsters and maybe a couple I like the look of to use the 'Build Your Own' rules around.
In the mean time head over to www.pulp-city.com and check out the game and expansion.

Saturday, 29 December 2012

First off, there has been a HUGE amount of Spam comments (10-15 a day) so I'm afraid I have had to turn on picture validation for comments.
I know this may put some people off commenting but I hope you can understand why I have had to do it.

Secondly, due to personal circumstances, the posting will be slowing down a gear or two.
There will still be regular posts but just not 1 or 2 EVERY day. Apologies but sometimes that thing they call 'life' just jumps out and gets you.
If you have any ideas for posts you would like to see, feel free to comment below (if you can prove you're not just software :) )

On to the second part of today's post.

In one of my favourite Facebook gaming groups, Miniature Addicts Anonymous, there have recently been several discussions about what people want to do with their hobby.
New Years resolutions, sticking with what you enjoy, spending limitations and plans for the next year.
This has inspired me to do a plan for 2013 and try to stick to it.

Below is my 'personal' gaming plan, not the blogs. These choices will be featured heavily on here but several things on the blog could change over the next few months.
I want to stick to this as closely as I can. Its time to focus on what I REALLY enjoy and what I can afford.
I may not get as many games in as I want as it doesn't include any of the 'big' games but I enjoy the collecting, building and chatting just as much.

Why? - I LOVE Pulp City. More than any other game I have ever played. With the Open Beta of the next edition coming out in a few weeks and loads of minis lined up the game is just going to get better and better in 2013

What do I want to do? - I have at least 1 of each PC mini so far so my purchases will mainly be the new releases which are due to be 2 blisters a month.
There are some models in my collection being painted by The Hairy Painter at the moment and some I want to paint in Marvel inspired schemes. My long term plan for them is to paint one of each mini in the range in an original scheme myself so I will more than likely be grabbing some doubles when I can as well.

Why? - Thanks to the recent Kickstarter I have 1 of every funded mini coming in the near future. I couldn't resist this game as I fell for the minis, rules and the totally unique setting. Underwater skirmish campaigns with illumination and different depth rules.

What do I want to do? - As with my first choice, I want to have one of each model in the range. So after my Kickstarter delivery I will be grabbing any new releases.
The rules let you activate groups of the same model and they are campaign based so model will change weapons and equipment over time. Once I know what I like to use more I will get a couple of doubles and some conversion packs as well as the new toys.

Why? - This game hasn't been around long but when I first spotted it I realised it was the perfect combination of Steampunk, Sci-Fi and Historical for me. I wasn't to keen on each genre on its own but DL has the bits I like without the bits I don't!

What do I want to do? - I began picking up each release for each nation as I couldn't decide which force I liked the most. This led to collecting all of them. I want to continue that with one of each new release including the new nations and mercs. This is the most expensive choice so I may not get them ALL as soon as they come up but I will over time.

Why? - I started with a single box set and found I really enjoyed the combined forces style of the game and a different scale was very nice. The models impressed me for the same reason as Legions above and I went for the French with their flying Battleships. This led onto collecting an entire force for Air and Sea.

What do I want to do? - Continue with the French and ONLY the French. I want a couple of the large ships as doubles for force building choices but apart from that it will be picking up new French Air and Sea models. Not keen on the land side of the French which is fine as the Sea Skimmers can be used as a Land force as well.

There is the temptation of ONE (ish) more game. I like the look of several but just cant decide. The choices and reasons in no particular order are-

Super System 3 - I have LOADS of non-Pulp City Supers minis and the SS3 rules already.Make Your Own Supers could be a lot of fun.Batman - Stunning models and calls to the 'Supers' fan in me. The price seems a little high though as I know if I start collecting I will want ALL of it.Carnivale - BIG Assassins Creed fan and this game looks very similar to the Xbox game. Stunning models and the rules look fun.Relic Knights - The models are amazing! I just couldnt afford to get in on the Kickstarter Relics - Not looked into the game rules too much but the models are nice. Especially the Britanans.Freebooters Fate - Love Pirates (see the Hendybadger pic) and this game has stunning models and a nice card system. One faction even calls to the Assassins Creed fan in me.Cutlass - Again, Pirates! I have the rules and an Undead crew which are both great. Just never got around to playing it.Dreadball - Heard great things about the game and the minis are nice. Will have to try it out soon as I like Tabletop sports games.Bloodbowl - Always enjoyed BB but stopped playing years ago due to lack of opponents. Would be nice to start again.Necromunda - Until I found Pulp City, Necromunda was my favourite game of all time. Unfortunately the campaign system calls for lots of games and there are currently no players around that I know of which is a shame as I love the models and still have a ton of bits to convert them with.Anima Tactics - Dont know much about the game but the models are amazing and a good friend is a big fan.Hell Dorado - As with Anima, I dont know much about the rules but I know I like several of the models

So that's the plan! (ish) Wish me luck!

Do you have a gaming plan for next year? What is your reasoning behind it? Would love to hear it.

Which would you go for as an extra game from the ones I listed? And why?

Friday, 28 December 2012

Knight models have posted pictures of the next wave of Batman Minis on thier Facebook Page
They also posted links to download the rules for the game. Unfortunatley they are in Spanish until the English version comes out in a few weeks.
I have run them through Google Translate for a look but not sure If I would be allowed to post that up

The Mistycball Blog has also posted up a little bit of info on the Penguin crew.
In Spanish so translated below via Google Translate

Penguin is band leader, just as these miniatures are based on the aesthetics of the game. A Leader in Reputation cheaper there, only 75. His main traits are oriented charism has the charismatic and influential skills. It is a character that much power play with henchmen, the combination of peat and inspire the rule (this gets to be the leader, his rank), makes the minions, they are very easy to activate consecutively with any additional action token their reservations.Eye! Character is weak in combat, but his bulletproof vest helps you survive better against enemy fire. How not to highlight its umbrella, a weapon that can always interesting scares the enemy.

This starter was decided to put a more powerful gun.

Penguin is the Lord of the business and that allows you to have more money to spend on equipment and weapons.
The other two models is equipped with a shield, a very interesting item
when you get the hang of the game and that always makes Blink!, The other the oldest equipped with a good electric baton. Most of these thugs have all Pandillero rule. They are pretty cheap Henchmen Reputation.

When more blisters expansion bands, fans will enjoy this character
viewed the possibilities of variation and versatility it has.

Thursday, 27 December 2012

Do you like the 'Stitchpunk' look of the Relics Britanans?
Do you like Fantsay Football?

Well, they have been mixed!
The Kickstarter Project for these can be found HERE
Below I have reposted some of the info from the KS page \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

UPDATE:
The first draft of the Relics Armistance Leaguerules have been posted HERE
and the first 2 Stretch Goals have been shown. You can see them at the bottom of this post.

The Britanan All-Stars are the first team being developed for our
fantasy football tabletop game set in the world of Relicia that we are
currently writing.

But, the Britanan All-Stars are not just for our upcoming Armistice
League game but can also be used as a ‘counts as’ team for any other
fantasy football games out there.

Note – This project
is not for the rules of the game or any other team. If this project is
successful, we will run more projects for the other teams and the rules when
the time is right. However, the rules we be available very soon as a early development copy.

So, keep an eye out for them (we will post an update when they are
available) as we hope you would like to try them out and get involved
with
the development of the game by providing feedback and help shape them
into a game that you want to play! We would love to hear your
thoughts on our forum.

There are a number of options you can choose from for a reward,
ranging from single blisters right up to team packs and even multiple
team packs that are perfect for club pledges. There are also a few
rewards that allow you to have to design a profile for the game or have a
coach model sculpted in your likeness! Immortality!!!!

Then, we
have a couple of special options that will allow some people to design a
Legendary Player in the game or have a Britanan Manager model sculpted
in their likeness!

The Blisters

Pledge £6 for a blister of the Scooper models – This will include three unique sculpts
and will normally retail at a MSRP of £7. (Please add £5 to ship outside the UK).
Pledge £6 for a blister of the Guard models – This will include three unique sculpts and
will normally retail at a MSRP of £7. (Please Add £5 to ship outside the UK).
Pledge £6 for a blister of the Linemen
models – This will include three unique sculpts and will normally retail at a MSRP of £7 (Please Add £5 to ship outside the UK).

The Team Packs.

Second Division Team.
Pledge £22 for a Second Division Team - This will include 12 models:

6 Linemen models (3 sculpts).

3 Scooper models (3 sculpts).

3 Guard models (3 sculpts)

Your name listed on the Relics Armistice League website as a team supporter.

This will normally retail at a MSRP £26.00 (Please add £10 to ship outside the UK )

Premier League Team.
Pledge £26 for a Premier league Team - This will include 15 models:

9 Linemen models (3 sculpts).

3 Scooper models (3 sculpts).

3 Guard models (3 sculpts).

Your name listed on the Relics Armistice League website as a team supporter.

This will normally retail at a MSRP £30.00. (Please add £10 to ship outside the UK).

Bulk Team Purchase.

Second Division Cup.
Pledge
£100 for a Second Division Cup pack - This will include 5 x
the Second Division team reward. Plus up to 5 names listed on the Relics
Armistice
League website as a Cup supporter. This would not be available for
retail in this format but would have a MSRP equivalent of £110. Perfect
for a small
games clubs group purchase! (Please add £14 to ship outside the UK).
Limited reward (30 only).

There are even more rewards levels so head over to the Kickstarter Page and check it out!

Wednesday, 26 December 2012

We’re back with Malifaux from Mars
and today we’re actually going to learn how to play Malifaux! Are you excited
yet? I know I am! I remember my first Malifaux game (demoed by Ebonstar); it
was dramatic, it was exciting, it was easy to learn, and more importantly… I
had fun! Unfortunately I can’t cover every little rule on how to play and I
can’t cover full stats of any character because that is breaking
Wyrd-Miniature’s copyright laws, but I will try to help you learn the general
idea of Malifaux. Hit the jump to start learning.

The winners have 3 weeks to pay via the 'Donate' button at the top
of the page. Deadline is Jan 12th 2013.. Including the mini name, their
own name and address so I know where things need to go!

The 3 weeks to pay takes it past the holidays so no reason to panic.
As this is a charity fundraiser, I do ask that people include £1 for UK postage per mini and £2 for International postage per mini.

To claim your prize, use the 'Contact Hendybadger' link at the top. Again, as this is all for charity I do ask if you can help out with postage. If not, its fine. I will just been sent abit later when I can afford to send it.